a word or a phrase used to describe something as if it were something else

descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures

implied meaning or emotion tied to a word beyond its literal definition

a restriction or boundary that prevents full potential or freedom

a situation in which something stays the same and is therefore boring

Analysing ideas of youth and nature in Blake’s ‘The Schoolboy’

English

In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of power and conflict. In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons between poems.

In 'A World at War: Poetry', pupils explore how poets presents the atrocities of World War One through their poetry. In 'AQA Power and Conflict Poetry', pupils analyse how a variety of different wars have been presented through poetry.

In this unit, pupis explore 11 of the 15 poems from the Eduqas poetry anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in a thematically linked order so they can complete comparative and thematic lessons during the unit.

Poetry anthology: first study

School restricts a child’s natural freedom and joy.

What is the central message of 'The Schoolboy'?

What does the "skylark" symbolise in the poem 'The Schoolboy'?

It implies a harsh, violent suppression of growth.

It reflects the brutal reality of the cycle of life.

In 'The Schoolboy', how does Blake’s use of the word "nip’d" contribute to the poem’s meaning?

It reflects the monotony and structure of insitutions.

It creates a playful and unpredictable rhythm.

It creates a sense of chaos and disorder.

In 'The Schoolboy', what effect does the ABABB rhyme scheme have on the poem’s tone?

Is this statement true or false? In 'The Schoolboy', Blake uses the language of imprisonment and restriction to critique oppressive institutions.

To show the child becoming part of society.

To emphasise the loss of individuality under institutional control.

Which answer best desribes why Blake shifts from "I" to the "child" in 'The Schoolboy'?

What artistic and intellectual movement was William Blake considered to be a part of?

A strict teacher who believes in discipline.

A joyful child who loves learning in school.

A young boy who feels trapped by school and longs for freedom.

Which statement best describes the speaker in 'The School Boy'?

Education gives children discipline and knowledge for adulthood.

Teachers shape children’s futures through structured learning.

Nature is too unpredictable for a child’s growth and learning.

Strict schooling crushes a child’s joy, freedom, and natural creativity.

Which statement best summarises 'The School Boy'?

emphasis on emotion and individual experience

focus on imagination and childhood innocence

Which conventions of Romanticism does Blake use in 'The School Boy'?

This quotation comes from the poem 'The Schoolboy': "How can the bird that is born for joy,/Sit in a cage and sing". What poetic technique is Blake using?

Repeated sounds at the end of words in a line.

Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.

A group of lines forming a unit in a poem.

The beat or flow created by syllable patterns.

Match the poetic terms with their correct definitions:

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Analysing ideas of youth and nature in Blake’s ‘The Schoolboy’

Lesson outcome

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.